Ontario, Canada (SUNA) - Medical and scientific circles worldwide are celebrating a landmark achievement led by a Sudanese doctor in Canada. Professor Dr. Mohi-Eddin Ahmed successfully saved a Canadian teenager from "clinical death" after infection with a rare and highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus in British Columbia.
The remarkable feat, widely reported in Canadian media and scientific journals, highlights Dr. Mohi-Eddin, a cardiovascular surgery specialist, who directed the complex procedure involving veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) -- a technique that temporarily takes over the functions of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other vital organs while the body fights off a lethal infection. The patient, previously considered hopeless, survived after this unprecedented intervention.
Professor Dr. Mohi-Eddin is the same Sudanese-Canadian surgeon who previously performed open-heart surgeries and corrected congenital heart defects in children in Sudan, supplied treatments, medicines, and medical devices, and trained dozens of paediatric cardiac surgeons. Before the outbreak of war in Sudan, he was a pillar of both the Sudanese and Canadian Surgeons Association.
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In this case, a 14-year-old girl's body reached extreme toxicity, with all vital signs collapsing. The virus she contracted is rare and highly lethal. Yet, under Dr. Mohi-Eddin's leadership, she became the first patient globally to recover from this infection, leaving the hospital walking and breathing on her own--a milestone documented in leading journals, including The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses circulate among wild birds and poultry in some regions and can occasionally infect humans. Since 1997, sporadic human cases have been reported in 25 countries. Recent local infections in the Americas involve the 2.3.4.4b clade, usually causing mild illness, but some cases have been critical.
Joslyn Armstrong, the 14-year-old patient, became the first locally infected H5N1 case in Canada, suffering severe illness requiring prolonged intensive care. She contracted clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype D1.1, and developed a life-threatening cytokine storm. Her treatment included combined antiviral therapy, renal replacement therapy, therapeutic plasma exchange, invasive mechanical ventilation, and VV-ECMO.
When Joslyn was admitted to British Columbia Children's Hospital in November 2024, her symptoms resembled ordinary flu: high fever, red eyes, and cough. Within days, her condition deteriorated dramatically--blood oxygen dropped, lungs collapsed, and organs began failing. Genetic analysis revealed a rare H5N1 strain with mutations enhancing lethality and human respiratory adaptation, rendering standard protocols insufficient.
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A multidisciplinary medical team, including Dr. Mohi-Eddin, faced a stark choice: accept near-certain death or attempt a high-risk, technologically advanced intervention. Under his supervision, the team implemented VV-ECMO, plasma exchange to counter the cytokine storm, multi-drug antiviral therapy, kidney dialysis, and prolonged mechanical ventilation.
For days, machines assumed the work of her entire body: artificial lungs breathed for her, blood was purified, and every vital parameter was monitored minute by minute. By day nine, her lungs began improving. ECMO was discontinued on day 15, the breathing tube removed on day 21, kidney function restored by day 22, and the virus cleared from respiratory samples by day 24. Joslyn walked out of the hospital fully recovered, breathing and smiling.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, which published the case study on January 23, 2026, noted that Joslyn "represents the only known case in Canada" and, according to available data, "the only survivor worldwide" following this advanced medical intervention. The case has also appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Beyond medical achievement, this story embodies hope, family resilience, and the power of integrated medical expertise. Canadian newspapers published a photo of Dr. Mohi-Eddin smiling in medical attire alongside Joslyn and her parents--a moment capturing science, compassion, and dedication. Through his leadership and humanitarian contributions, Dr. Mohi-Eddin was not merely a participant but a principal architect of the care that made Joslyn the only known survivor of this deadly strain.
